| No one understands male psychology better than Robert Moore. In this compilation of lectures, he offers comforting (and sometimes not so comforting) explanations of what happens at those terrifying but oh so necessary transitions in our lives. As one who is now in the "belly of the whale," I can say that this book has helped me understand how and why I got here, it has helped me understand what I am experiencing, and it has given me guidance for what I can/will/must do when this dark period of my life is over. If you are at mid-life, read this book! |
| Following the line of thought of anthropologists Arnold van Gennep and Victor Turner and scholar of religions Mircea Eliade, psychoanalyst Robert Moore has added "THE ARCHETYPE OF INITIATION: Sacred Space, Ritual Process, and Personal Transformation." Van Gennep began with the three passages (separation, liminal, and aggregation) of initiatory ritual. Turner expanded the concept of liminal (on the threshold) to include more specific dynamics of liminal space. Eliade, from his perspective, has emphasized the combination of hierophany (manifestation of the sacred) and kratophany (manifestation of power) as a necessary part of initiatiory ritual worldwide. In this book Robert Moore details the need and role of ritual elders in creating and containing the sacred space required in all transformative initiations in human experience. Though the book is fairly specialized, it is written with a minimal amount of technical terms. "The Archetype of Initiation" was originally presented as a series of lectures and essays from 1984 to 1995. Throughout the book I found the audience's questions matched my own and the Dr. Moore's answers made the concepts clearer. Also, myself having been prey to previous initiations that have been toxic, I found this book to be a beneficial guide to use before one submits to any initiation. Psychotherapists, leaders in the Men's Movement, as well as people involved in youth counseling, prison rehabilitation, clergy, and even bewildered parents of teens will find this book very useful. |
